Medicaid Institute

United Hospital Fund established the Medicaid Institute in 2005 to provide information and analyses examining New York’s Medicaid program and to help all stakeholders build a more effective health care system for low-income New Yorkers.

New Yorkers Receive Affordable Health Insurance through Medicaid

Medicaid provides comprehensive health care services to a diverse group of low-income New Yorkers, including:

• children 
• adults 
• people with disabilities 
• older adults 

New York Medicaid Covers Several Million New Yorkers

A significant proportion of children, at birth and throughout childhood, receive essential well baby and child health care as Medicaid members. Many low-wage working adults also receive affordable health care access through Medicaid. The program also provides the majority of long-term care services, including home- and community-based services, nursing home care, and other assistance for people with disabilities or long-term care needs. 

Medicaid is a countercyclical program: enrollment in it rises during periods of increased unemployment as individuals lose income and employer-sponsored insurance. Apart from economic downturns, the number of New Yorkers enrolled in Medicaid has also increased as a result of recent state and federal changes, both legislative and regulatory: streamlined eligibility and enrollment requirements, expanded Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act, eased access to coverage through the New York State of Health insurance marketplace, and expanded immigrant eligibility.

How Medicaid Supports New Yorkers

New York provides most Medicaid benefits through managed care organizations, private health insurance companies. Over the past several years, nearly all Medicaid members and benefits have been shifted to managed care. New York has also changed how services are delivered and paid for, including recent investments in delivery system reforms and progress toward value-based payment. As New York continues to transition to value-based payment, focusing on quality rather than quantity, it moves away from the traditional fee-for-service model of care. 

How UHF Is Helping Improve Medicaid

UHF’s Medicaid Institute provides independent information and analyses in partnership with the New York State Department of Health and other stakeholders. Specifically, the Medicaid Institute:

• Produces analyses and other information to shape discussions of Medicaid policy and implementation
• Convenes and engages stakeholders to inform policy analyses, disseminate knowledge, identify best practices, and discuss policy and operational opportunities and challenges 
• Facilitates and manages specific policy development and review processes 

Through these activities, the UHF Medicaid Institute informs policymakers and the public on key Medicaid issues and helps strengthen the program, which is a vital source of coverage and health care for New York.

Contact: Alexandra Brandes